The invention relates to a method and a device for stacking unpacked processed cheese slices.
Devices for producing processed cheese slices are known, which supply individually packed and stacked processed cheese slices.
However, gastronomy and large consumers desire simple handling of the individual processed cheese slices, i.e. easily separable, but not individually packed processed cheese slices. Devices of this type for manufacturing unpacked, stacked processed cheese slices are known. A plurality of superimposed cheese webs are produced, which are continuously intermittently cut, resulting in individual stacks comprising a plurality of superimposed and unpacked processed cheese slices. Depending on the number of cheese webs which are simultaneously processed, this single stack can comprise, for example, 5, 10 or 20 individual processed cheese slices.
However, in many cases stacks comprising, for example, 30, 40 or more superimposed cheese slices may be required, so that to date this need has been met by manually stacking the single stacks coming from the machine to form larger multiple stacks. This manual activity is very monotonous, labour-intensive and costly.
It is therefore the object of the invention to propose a method and a device for stacking unpacked processed cheese slices, by means of which the stacking, which was formerly effected manually, is completely automated.
This object is attained by the characterising features of the independent claims.
The invention is based upon transporting the unpacked processed cheese slices, which have already been stacked into individual stacks during production, to a first turning station, where the individual stacks are tilted through 90xc2x0 about their horizontal axis, so that they come to stand on their end face. The upright single stacks are transported to a second, pulsed turning station where they are grouped in a row. Once two or more single stacks have been arranged in a row in this manner, the second turning station is actuated and again tilts the grouped single stacks through 90xc2x0 about their common horizontal axis. Consequently, the two or more stacks of processed cheese slices come to rest on top of one another and form a single multiple stack, which can be supplied to the further processing and packing of a subsequent processing station. As a transportation device, one or more conveyor belts are preferably used, which consist of a plurality of rotating belts.
The processed cheese slices thus leave the production machine already stacked into individual stacks and are stacked to form larger multiple stacks by the device according to the invention.
The processed cheese slices arriving from the production machine are preferably stacked on top of one another offset to the left and right in the direction of transportation in order to facilitate the removal of individual cheese slices from the stack. However, the end face of the individual stack which is to be stacked forms a plane, so that a flat standing surface is available.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, the first turning station is formed by a turnstile, which is arranged in the region of the conveyor belt and engages through said conveyor belt. The single stacks of cheese slices transported on the first conveyor belt are stopped by a vertically positioned arm of the turnstile, are individually grasped by the horizontal arm of the turnstile lying beneath the stack and rotated through 90xc2x0 and deposited again on the conveyor belt. The respective turned single stack of cheese slices comes to rest upon its end face and is transported to the second turning station.
The turned individual stacks of cheese slices enter the region of the second turning station. The second turning station is preferably formed by a turnstile. The single stacks of cheese slices are transported by the conveyor belt to the vertical arm of the turnstile, where they abut and are arranged in rows of two or more. Once, depending on the desired number, two or more single stacks are arranged in a row, the turnstile is set in motion in the direction of transportation. The cheese slice stacks which have run up against the vertical arm of the turnstile are grasped by the underlying horizontal arm and rotated forwards through 90xc2x0, so that the two or more single stacks come to rest on top of one another on the conveyor belt and form a single multiple stack.
The multiple stacks of processed cheese slices are then advanced by the conveyor belt and supplied to a further processing or packing stage.
In connection with a second embodiment of the invention, the first turning station is formed by two transportation devices arranged in series and separated by an intermediate space. The transportation devices are preferably constructed as conveyor belts and are arranged vertically offset relative to one another, the first conveyor belt in the direction of transportation being arranged higher than the following conveyor belt. The single stacks of cheese slices fall from the first, higher conveyor belt onto the second, lower conveyor belt and during the fall rotate about the horizontal axis, so that they come to rest on the second conveyor belt tilted through 90xc2x0 with their end face at the bottom. As a result of the fact that the individual, unpacked processed cheese slices adhere relatively well to one another, the individual processed cheese slices remain together even after tilting and do not fall apart. The following method steps in connection with the second turning station correspond to the steps described above in connection with the first embodiment.
In a further development of the present invention, it is provided that not only one row of successive single stacks can be processed, but the stacking device can simultaneously process a plurality of successive rows of single stacks.
The number of single stacks which are stacked on top of one another to form a multiple stack can be arbitrarily selected and is only limited by the steadiness of the multiple stack produced in this manner.
A station for batching the multiple stacks to form a plurality of successive units can be arranged downstream of the second turning station. In this respect, the batching station preferably comprises a plurality of lifters, which are arranged in series and lift the individually arriving multiple stacks from the conveyor belt for a given period of time and deposit said stacks again on the conveyor belt together as a batch.
A method for stacking unpacked processed cheese slices is contemplated, and includes the steps of continuously supplying stacks of superimposed processed cheese slices with a transportation device to a first turning station, tilting the stacks through a 90xc2x0 angle in a direction of transportation, supplying the tilted stacks to a second turning station, and arranging at least two of the tilted stacks behind one another in a row, and tilting the at least two stacks together through a 90xc2x0 angle in the direction of transportation such that the at least two stacks come to rest on top of one another to form a single stack of processed cheese slices.